Roasting up a chicken at least once each week is a big part of how I keep my family on track with healthy eating. It’s dinner one night, then the leftovers go into a salad or soup. This particular version is made especially vibrant with a basil pesto thickened with pepitas.

PESTO

6 garlic cloves

4 ounces fresh basil leaves (about 4 cups loosely packed)

1⁄4 cup toasted pepitas

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

1 (31⁄2- to 4-pound) whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry

Kosher salt

1 lemon, halved

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the garlic, basil, pepitas, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse to make a smooth pesto. Season with salt.

Set the chicken in a roasting pan. Separate the skin over the chicken breasts by gently working your fingers underneath. Spoon or rub the pesto all over the breasts under the skin. Rub the rest of the pesto over the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with salt.

Stuff the halved lemon into the chicken’s cavity. Roast the chicken for 90 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy and the meat is juicy and falling from the bone.

Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then cut it up and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the roasted lemon halves from inside the chicken.